This is an exterior view of the Palace of Justice in Damascus, taken on August 11. (Photo courtesy of Xinhua / Montsef Memari)
DAMASCUS — In a landmark ruling on August 11, the Fourth Criminal Court of Damascus sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia. His cousin, Atef Najib, the former head of the Political Security Department in Daraa province, received the same penalty.
This file photo, taken on November 11, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, shows Bashar al-Assad attending the Joint Arab-Islamic Summit for Leaders. (Photo courtesy of Saudi Press Agency)
According to Syrian state television, the hearing focused primarily on Najib’s case. Judge Fakhr al-Din Aliyan of the Fourth Criminal Court stated that Najib, during the early days of the Syrian crisis, led security operations against civilians in Daraa and participated in the interrogation of detainees after local protests erupted. The court unanimously decided on the death penalty.
The court also sentenced former President Assad to death in absentia. Judge Aliyan described Assad as the highest decision-maker who was directly involved in the events, mobilizing the “state apparatus” for the crackdown. He called Assad “the mastermind behind all crimes committed against the Syrian people, even if he did not carry them out personally.”
This is another exterior view of the Palace of Justice in Damascus, taken on August 11. (Photo courtesy of Xinhua / Montsef Memari)
Bashar al-Assad and his family fled to Russia in late 2024. The Syrian transitional government opened its first public trial of key figures from the Assad regime on April 26 this year.
